Newspaper receptacle attachment for rural mailboxes



Sept. 11, 1951 KELLY 2,567,487

NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE ATTACHMENT FOR RURAL MAILBOXES Filed Aug. 26, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTOR ROBERT L. KELLY BYM/KWW 1's ATTORNEY Sept. 11, 1951 R. L. KELLY 2,567,487

NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE ATTACHMENT FOR RURAL MAILBOXES Filed Aug. 26, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. FIG.5.

ROBERT L. K EL LY 171 ATTORNEY BY MK W R L. KELLY Sept. 11, 1951 NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE ATTACHMENT F OR RURAL MAILBOXES Filed Aug. 26, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. IO.

INVENTOR ROBERT L KELLY. M/

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11?, 1951 fumtree PATENT OFFICE INEWYSFEATERiRECEPTACLE ATTACHMENT ennhmniiseuy;Bammomma.

Application AugustiTZB, 1949,iselfialNo-flfzfiffi This invention relates *to a newspaper "rece tacle attachment for a rural email %box and '"has "for its primary object to support atop a'conve'ntional rural mail-box :a receptacle in the nature of a-cylindrical tube closed at *on'e tend, such "-as :are commonly employed for receiving news- :papers in rural areas.

Aprimary object of the"-invention is to utilize the conventional construction "of a a'rura-l mail box for anchoring-the receptacle *in place-there- Another object is to facilitate the rap'id. mounting of the-receptacle on a rural mail box of conventional construction.

tAzs'till further object is detachably' toconnect the receptacle :to the *moun'ting brackets and permit of longitudinal=adjustment'ofthe'brackets on ith'e receptacle. I v

The :above and other ob'iects may he attained by :e'mploying this invention which embodies :among itsx fea'tures ea br-a6ket-comprising "-an' upright, a-seat-- carried by the upper endcf the uprlight for accommodating the newspaper receptac1'e,: :'i *saddle member carried by thelower --end of the upright for resting upon-the tem of "amon- 'ventional rural mail *box, *saicl saddle men'iber having an opening thereintc accommodate :the conventional latch tongue o'fa -'-rural mail box to utilize said latch tongue -a's ananchoring 'means for"the*bracket-'at 'one {end of *the' receptacle and clamping means removabl-y coupled to the 'bracket'at the opposite end of thereceptaclejfor "clamping saidbracket'itc the outstanding fia'nge of a conventional rural mail box.

Other features include fmieans detachably and adjustably to couple the Ybracketstoarnewspaper receptacle.

In-the drawings Figure 1*is aside-view of a 'conventicndlru-ral maiPbox showing 'a newspaperreceptacle-mount- 'ed--there0n1in accordance with this invention,

"Fi ure 2 is a front view "in elevation "of the structure illustrated in Figure 1,

' Figure 3 is a rear view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure '4 is an enlarged "fragmentary-sectional View ta-ken substantially along the 1in'e"'4fl of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged f-ragmentarysectional "-715 comprises a container -'l-2 ,-which 'is closedat one -'end and carries at its closed :end a conventional "outstanding flange 14. Pivotally connected ;;to the container l Z,--adjacent-"the open end thereof, as at I6, is ;;a conventional. downwardly opening door! t carryin'ga combination handle and latch *keep'er'ifl. "Riveted, "or otherwise attached to the 'top of the container #2, was "at"22,isza conventional latch tongue 24, which projects forwardly beyond 'the open endo'f the container and overhangsthe door Hi to cooperate withthefiatch keeper 'and handle $20 in holding the door in closed position. The mail ,box is provided with-a conventional flagy2'6. The-structure so far recited-is of conventional "formrand forms .nonpart '30 of this ,invention.

"In order 'to support a newspaper receptacle 2.8 above themailbox I'D, I provide a pairo'f spaced Ibrackets designated "generally and 32 respectively. .Each suchibracket-oomprises an upright -35 :31 carrying 'a'tfits upper end an outwardly extending ;c0ncave seat 31i. In th.e preferred .form 'citheinven'tion, :the :seat36 is equipped w'itha longitudinal groove '38 for accommodating .the "seamjoiningopposite ends of the sheet of mate- =40jria1 "from which the tubular vreceptacle 128 is "formed. Spaced openings '40 are 'formed'iri ,the *sea'ti36 .to accommodate rivets or bolts by which the tubular, receptacle? B-imay be attachedito the *seat. In'some instances annular bands 42gmay =45 encircle the receptacle "28 in which case bolts 44 "are "extended through "the openings 4!! ,and

through slots 46 formed in "the bands 42, ad-

justably 'to couple theioands to the 'seat' 35.

*Formed at the-lowenend of each upright"34--is=a view taken-substantially along the' line' 5- 5 0f saddle -member designated generalli'z 48 which "-FigureB, I

Figure '6- is a -sectional-view taken-substantially aIQng the Iine B- Bc'f Figure 5 v Figure 'l is =-a -1 perspective of oneeo'f thesmounting' brackets, I

comprises-a concaveflange 50 'havingformed' intermediate its ends an opening 52. This'opening forms-at the end of the flange 50 remote from the upright 313 a transversely extended bar 54 "lib *Wliichfolio ws the contour of the top of the eontainer I2, as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 6. The portion of the saddle member 48, which lies between the opening 52 and the'upright 34, is struck upwardly to form a bridge member 56 which extends across and forms the top wall of a longitudinal channel 58, in which a portion of the latch tongue 24 is accommodated. Formed at the junction of the upright 34 and saddle member 48 is an. opening 60, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear, and formed in the flange 50, between the opening 52 and opposite side edges of said flange, are openings 62 for the accommodation of bolts when it is desired to bolt the bracket to the container I2. Formed in the upright 34 between opposite side edges thereof and the opening 60 are bolt receiv ing openings 64 by which the clamp members, to

be more fully hereinafter described, are connected to the upright. i

when the bracket is to be used at the rear closed end of the container I2, a clamp member designated generally 66 (Figure 8) is employed. This clamp member comprises an elongated body 68 provided intermediate its ends with a lateral extension I0 opposite corners of which are bent as at 12 to form prongs for engaging the front face of the flange I4. Formed in the body 68, between opposite ends thereof and the lateral extension 10, are bolt receiving openings 14 which when the clamp is in use align with the openings 84 to receive clamping bolts 16. Cooperating clamp members designated generally I8 (Figure 9) comprise substantially rectangular bodies 80, opposite corners of which are bent as at 82 to form clamping prongs which engage the upright 34 and the back side of the flange I4, as will be readily understood upon reference to the Figures 1 and 5. Formed centrally of each rectangular body 80 is an opening 84 for the reception of one of the bolts I6 so that when the bolts are tightened, the clamps 66 and I8 will be drawn into clampingengagementwith the flange I4 in order to hold the upright 34 of the rearbracket 32 in proper position on the top of the container I2.

The brackets 30 and 32 are exact counterparts except for the fact that the bracket 32 is equipped with clamp members just described, and these are so designed that they may be utilized interchangeably with the brackets.

In the preferred form of the invention the brackets 32 and 34 are first connected to the receptacle and the spacing between them adjusted so that when the bracket 30 is engaged with the latch tongue 34, as illustrated in Figure 1, the bracket 32 will lie against the front face of the flange I4. Having thus connected the brackets to the receptacle 28, the door I8 of the .container I2 is moved to open position and the saddle member 48 of the bracket 30 is slipped over the overhanging end of the latch tongue 24 with the latch tongue projecting through the opening therein. Upon moving the receptacle 28 downwardly into substantially parallel relation tothe container I2, the rivets 22 will pass through the openings 52 and 60 and will engage opposite ends of the bridge member 56. At the same time opposite side walls of the recess 58 will engage opposite side edges of the portion of the latch tongue 24 which rests on the top of the container, thus securely anchoring the forward bracket 30 to the container. Simultaneously with the movement of the receptacle into parallel relation with the container, the clamp member 66 by the-bracket 32 will engage the front '4 face of the flange I4 through the opening 60 in the upright 34 of said bracket 32 and the clamp members I8 will engage the rear face of the flange I4 so that upon tightening the bolts 16 the clamps 66 and I8 will be drawn tightly against the flange I4 securely to hold the bracket 32 in position on the container I2. In this way rapid mounting of the receptacle 28 on a conventional rural mail box IIlmay be achieved.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 10 through 12 inclusive, the mounting device comprises a pair of brackets corresponding to the forward and rear brackets 30 and 32 previously referred to. Each such bracket comprises an upright formed at its lower end with a laterally extending saddle member 88 corresponding in all respects to the saddle member 48 previously described. Formed adjacent the upper end of the upright 80 are spaced openings for the reception of suitable fastening means 92, such as rivets, by means of which a cross arm 94 is connected to the upright. Like the upright 34, the upright 86 is provided adjacent its lower end with spaced openings 96 for the reception of bolts by means of which the clamps 66 and 18 may be detachably mounted on the upright 86. The saddle member 88 comprises a flange 68 which is transversely curved like the flange 50 and is formed intermediate its end with an opening I00, which corresponds with the opening 52 in the flange 50 to form a cross bar I02 corresponding to the cross bar 54, previously described. Formed at the junction of the flange 88 with the upright 86 is an opening I04 and the portion-of the flange 98 lying between the openings I00 and I04 is struck upwardly to form a bridge piece I06.

The cross arm 84 is provided intermediate its ends with spaced openings I08 which align with the openings 90 inthe upright 86 to receive the fasteners 92 and formed adjacent opposite ends of the cross arm are seats IIO, each of which comprises a laterally extending concave flange II2. Formed at the junctions of the flanges H2 with the cross arm 94 mid-way between opposite side edges are openings I I4. Bolt receiving openings II6 are formed in the flanges between the openings H4 and the side edges of the flanges, as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 11. Formed mid-way between the side edges of the flanges are upwardly opening channels I I 8 in which the conventional seams of circular cylindrical receptacles may be received. Fastened in any suitable manner, as by rivets I20 to the seats IIO, are receptacles I22 and I24 in which the newspapers are deposited.

When it is desired to mount a pair of receptacles atop a conventional mail box, brackets 86 are employed in place of brackets 30 and 32 respectively. A cross arm 04 is attached to each bracket 86 by any suitable fastening means 92 and the receptacles 22 and 24 are fixed to the seats IIO of the respective cross arms 94. The upright 86 at one end of the structure thus formed is equipped with the clamp members 66 and I8 in the manner previously described and the device is now ready for mounting on a conventional rural mail box.

The bracket at the end of the structure, remote from that carrying the clamp members 66 and I8, is slipped over the latch tongue of the mail box, as previously described, with the cross bar I 02 lying beneath the latch tongue while the bridge piece I06 lies on top of the latch tongue between the rivets by which the latch tongue is fixed to the mail box. The structure is then moved downwardly so that the receptacles I22 and I24 lie parallel with the top of the mail box in which position the upright 85 carrying the clamp members 66 and 18 will rest against the flange of the mail box so that upon tightening the bolts, the clamp members 66 and 18 will be drawn into clamping position on the flange of the mail box. In this way, the dual type of receptacle may be easily and quickly applied to a conventional rural mail box.

What is claimed is:

In a rural mail box of the type having a downwardly swinging door, a latch tongue, spaced rivets extending through the mail box and the latch tongue for holding the latch tongue in overhanging relation to the door, and upwardly projectin heads on the rivets; means for supporting a receptacle above the mail box comprising an upright, means carried by the upper end of said upright for supporting a receptacle thereon, a saddle member at the lower end of the upright for seating on the mail box, said upright having a latch tongue accommodating opening extending therethrough at its junction with the saddle member, said saddle member having a latch tongue receiving opening extending there- 'through in spaced relation to the upright and forming a bridge member, said bridge member being upwardly offset for straddling the latch tongue and seating between the rivet heads and in engagement therewith to restrain shifting of the saddle member relative to the latch tongue and said latch tongue receiving opening defining along one side thereof a cross bar remote from the upright for engagement beneath the latch tongue between the rivets and the door.

ROBERT L. KELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,261,187 Thackray Apr. 2, 1918 2,483,992 Young get. 4;, 1949 

